Interweb Understanding
by Serena Thorn
Summary: It’s New Year’s Eve and even though a late night IM session Claire finally realizes she and Sylar aren’t so different after all


Title: Interweb Understanding  
Rating: PG  
Summary: It's New Year's Eve and even though a late night IM session Claire finally realizes she and Sylar aren't so different after all  
Spoilers: Though 3x13  
Disclaimer: Heroes is not owned by me, but by Tim Kring. I'm simply borrowing these characters for non-profit entertainment.  
A/N: Written for the New Year's challenge over at http:// community[dot]livejournal[dot]com/sylaire_chall/

* * *

_*CheerorDie90* has just signed on_

Sylar half-smiled as he looked at his phone screen. What could she be doing online tonight? One way to find out, he decided.

TastyGrayMatter: Shouldn't you be at some Petrelli family soiree?

TastyGrayMattter: Maybe getting a little up close and personal with Uncle Grab Ass?

CheerorDie90: Jealous much?

TastyGrayMattter: Of Peter? And here I thought I was the one who risked brain damage after that night at Primatech.

CheerorDie90: Whatever. Besides you're one to talk. Shouldn't you be off killing more specials or having another ex-girlfriend barbeque?

TastyGrayMattter: Who's jealous now, Princess? ;)

Sylar smiled. He did love her fire. And working her up was always so much fun, especially when she could hardly retaliate as much as she wanted to.

As for Claire, she might have been a little nicer if she wasn't having one of her worst New Year's Eves in recent memory. She had been invited to a few parties, but none of which exactly met her standards. Going to Angela's would have meant seeing Peter moping about Nathan's sudden turn to the wrong side and having to hear Angela once again try to convince her that Sylar had died in the fire at Primatech.

Yeah. Sylar was real dead, she thought with a roll of her eyes. So dead that she had him on Messenger right now. Though of course this wasn't exactly something she could tell anyone. It didn't matter, at least this would give her something to pass the time with and give her someone to take her anger out on.

TastyGrayMattter: Enjoying our night, are we?

Claire wanted to punch him for that. She knew on the other side of their internet connection he had to be smirking and she hated it. More than that she hated having to admit that he was right. On the bright side his human lie detector ability didn't work through the line. Still it wasn't like she could deny it.

CheerorDie90: I don't know why so many people have to make such a big deal out of it. It's just the change from one year to another. And across the world it's already the new year. I just don't get what all the fuss is about.

TastyGrayMattter: You're not at least a little relieved to have survived the year?

CheerorDie90: I'm practically immortal and you know it better than anyone. If anything this night should mean the least to us.

TastyGrayMattter: You, perhaps, Claire. Me? I've survived a lot this year. Your father, Elle, Peter, you.

TastyGrayMattter: True I suppose I have you to thank for that but still it's nice to be able to reflect like this.

CheerorDie90: So why are you even on anyway?

TastyGrayMattter: Unlike some I wasn't invited to any parties and I felt like taking it easy tonight.

CheerorDie90: And messaging me after eleven on New Year's Eve counts as taking it easy? What kind of a serial killer are you?!

Sylar almost laughed. He couldn't but enjoy that she wasn't afraid of him now, at least not when they were like this. That instead she was in fact chastising him for not being a 'better' killer.

TastyGrayMattter: The kind who only kills when he feels he has to.

TastyGrayMattter: And maybe the kind who doesn't think his favorite cheerleader should be completely alone on a night like this.

CheerorDie90: Then why not just show up here? It's not like you've ever had a problem barging in uninvited before.

She sighed. She knew what she had said and that he would take it as such. She wanted him there.

TastyGrayMattter: And risk getting reintroduced to Daddy's gun-happy ways? No thanks. Not tonight.

CheerorDie90: At least you can avoid him when you feel like it.

TastyGrayMattter: So I guess he's being more of a _*an animated large, hairy, foaming at the mouth troll emoticon_* than usual?

CheerorDie90: LOL! YES!

Claire couldn't help it, she nearly fell out of her chair laughing at the image. Mostly because it fit so well in her mind.

TastyGrayMattter: Yeah, I saw that and thought of him.

CheerorDie90: It fits!

TastyGrayMattter: So what's he done this time?

TastyGrayMattter: Usually you defend him at every turn despite the things he's done to you.

CheerorDie90: He just refuses to see me for what I am, as usual.

TastyGrayMattter: He'll never be able to understand you, Claire.

TastyGrayMattter: He'll never be able to understand either of us.

TastyGrayMattter: To him we're both monsters and that won't change.

CheerorDie90: I'm not a killer.

TastyGrayMattter: Attempted, Claire. Even before my influence you wanted someone to pay for what they did to you.

TastyGrayMattter: And I know Noah saw how driven you were at Primatech to kill me.

TastyGrayMattter: And now, keeping this secret from him, talking to me like this. What would he say?

CheerorDie90: I don't really care right now. Maybe that's worse.

CheerorDie90: But it's not like he even tries to understand how this is for me.

CheerorDie90: And sometimes I just think you get me like no one else can.

TastyGrayMattter: To be fair I did see your history when I touched your hand that day. When I saved you.

CheerorDie90: It's more than that. We've both had supposed parents trying to manipulate us.

CheerorDie90: We're both adopted and will probably never be seen for what we really are.

CheerorDie90: All we want is to be seen for more than what we are and I think it's my dad who's hurt us both the most.

CheerorDie90: If not for him you wouldn't have become what you are and wouldn't have been trying to kill me.

CheerorDie90: I think that's why he really hates you. That you remind him of all the mistakes he made going through with that assignment.

TastyGrayMattter: You're right. He had to see me kill, he wanted to see what I could do. And when he did, well…

TastyGrayMattter: I guess you could say the rest is history.

CheerorDie90: He wants to blame you for all the times you've hurt me and yet he's why.

CheerorDie90: And his selective memory really seems to come out when he's made to remember that you have saved me.

CheerorDie90: And more than once, I might add.

Claire couldn't believe she was getting so personal with Sylar. Or that she was letting him see this side of her. But she knew everything she was saying was true. Her father was to blame for all of this and it was also true that no one could or would understand her like Sylar did. Be it because of their similar histories or the fact he had seen everything he had needed to and more that day.

Sylar knew what she meant by "more than once". He had been the one to force her to see the light about her family. To get her to stop feeling that she needed their protection when they were the ones who were her biggest threat to her.

With a glance to the clock, Sylar had an idea. He knew he had a bit of her trust and didn't want to ruin that but at the same time it was nearly midnight on New Year's Eve and earlier she had practically invited him over.

"Sylar," she breathed at the sight of him suddenly in her bedroom.

"I decided to take you up on your invitation," he smiled.

She gave a soft smile in return. "I'm glad you did." Before she knew it she was on her feet and making her way over to him, soon pulling him into a tight hug and resting her head against his chest.

Holding her to him, rocking her gently from side to side, he told her, "Happy New Year, Claire."

"Happy New Year to you too, Sylar," she sighed almost sleepily against him as she all too willingly stayed within his comforting hold.

The End


End file.
